


the sea full of stars

by marriedreylo (aelins)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), Gratuitous Smut, Grief/Mourning, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Selkies, Soulmates, Worldbuilding, ben is a science/magic dork, has elements of both the force and selkie lore, this is mixed canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:35:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26636698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelins/pseuds/marriedreylo
Summary: She changes the subject, “I need to get back out to the ocean.”Ben taps his foot, “Why?”“Why? Because that’s where I belong.” Rey says, sounding exasperated.“Sweetheart—““Don’t yousweetheartme.”A Selkie/Magic AU
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	the sea full of stars

**Author's Note:**

> WHOOOOP. Ok there are some acknowledgements I need to make. 
> 
> This fic in it's entirety wouldn't be possible without the hard work me and [StarKillersBae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luciferous/pseuds/StarKillerBae) put into plotting and developing lore. The lore is ENTIRELY NOT MINE. Star has been exceedingly generous in letting me borrow her universe. She will always have a place in my heart for her generosity. 
> 
> To each of you, as well, if you've been here since Dec 21st when my heart broke for Ben and for Rey and all the dreamers. 
> 
> _To the people who look up at the stars and wish._ this one's for y'all. 
> 
> [recommended listening for this chapter](https://open.spotify.com/track/64fzn2ewOdSH57wrxTPGov?si=HSFYpa6sQLGF6YqUDHBFZg)
> 
> *finger guns* ok I'm done being sappy.

Ben shuffled around some odds and ends from his old walk-up, on the fireplace mantle. The fireplace crackled merrily. If he’d been at home it would’ve been Thanksgiving Eve. The sky was a shadow of black, grey, and purple, the voluminous clouds consoled his melancholy mood. He nursed a glass of amber liquid—was it brandy or whiskey? It all tasted the same. He’d never been fond of alcohol, and tonight, drowning his sorrows—and his father’s memory seemed fitting. A stray tear tracked down his cheek. He wanted to have one single, solitary moment to mourn his family in peace. No prying eyes. No press.

The rain burst from the clouds and he felt as if the sky was weeping with him. He was grateful for the roof over his head, but it felt like it had been paid for, lock, stock and barrel with his mother’s blood and tears. Lightning flashed and thunder rattled his mother’s ornaments on the mantle, it was so loud he could feel it in his chest. Luckily his new house had been battened down by the staff before he got there.

It was hard to think about the fact that he had _staff_ of all things. He’d inherited his parents' servants (although they weren’t called that anymore) as well as the Virginia ranch-style mansion he would never have use for. He thought about his childhood home, now on the market, and wondered if the scent of his mother’s chocolate chip cookies was imbued into the wallpaper. He hoped it was.

He’d spent too much time sulking, and though he’d tried to drown his sorrows in a bottle of liquor, he’d failed miserably. He’d only gotten down about half the thumb’s worth of amber liquid. He couldn’t even get properly drunk. The problem was he liked things that tasted nice, and this horrendously strong alcohol left a bitter taste in his mouth—and not just because of the flavor.

Han Solo had been a notorious drunk, to the point that it had been what killed both his parents. _Drunk driving ought to be more strictly punished_ , he’d said a thousand times before.

If a fit of frustration he threw what little alcohol was left into the fire, a foolish move, as he felt the heat of the fire nearly singe his eyebrows off. The thunder—which had been a roaring, cantankerous beast outside his window—had quieted to mere kitten’s yelp.

Just as the storm was settling, he decided to explore the beach, probably foolish given that there seemed to be another storm rolling in. He knew the weather in this part of the world was bad even at the best of times. Iceland wasn’t as barren as Greenland, but it was still much chillier than he was used to.

Ben Solo had been born and raised on the east coast of the United States. The Skywalkers were old money, and thus living in the ancestral Skywalker mansion was part of the package.

Until three months ago.

Until the world had stopped turning.

He begins getting ready to go outside and thought, that maybe there would be wildlife that he could observe. Marine wildlife was known to get beached when the waters were turbulent. This was what he’d come here for though — right? To help the selkies, and bring their troubles into mainstream media. He was a Harvard-educated scholar, surely he could stand the cold, wet weather to potentially help a creature in need? And maybe help heal his own broken heart as well.

So he put his boots on finally and sighed his relief that from the vantage point of his spacious, A-frame house. No creatures seemed to need immediate help. When he wandered out, there’s a red sky, and he wonders whose blood was spilled tonight…

He wanders the shore, hands deep in his deep, pea coat pockets, and hums a sailing tune to himself. There was a small dot on the shore, he thinks it must be a log washed up… it was much too small to be any creature from the sea. That could’ve been the distance though, things always looked strange from far away.

Nonetheless, his feet carried him there, squelching in the sand and seaweed washed up along the coast. He’d purchased five miles worth of seafront property in Iceland, and it was the most beautiful walk he’s ever been on. As he got closer—and he was not entirely sure this was even his property anymore—he noticed that the ‘log’ gave a violent twitch.

“Oh my god—“ He inhaled sharply, his breath got caught in his throat. Then the cold, damp air was rushing by as he ran to the creature’s aid. This was quite the feat given the number of layers he was wearing and the Wellington boots on his feet.

He _knew_ what that little struggling shape was, and as he raced closer he realized that he might not get there in time.

The selkie is struggling madly. There’s a gaping, bleeding wound on her pelt. The pain must’ve been unbearable. She’s looking around wildly, and she must’ve had a bad knock on the head, because she was clearly disoriented. He came to a halt and started speaking in a low and calm voice, “I’m going to put you in the water, and then I’m going to put a little salve on that wound ok?”

He was always calm in the face of a crisis, and he wouldn’t let this poor creature down because he was scared.

He hauls her into the cold, murky water and his thighs are soaked by the time she settles. He can already feel the chill as it chased down his spine. He really _would_ do anything to help a selkie.

She—and it’s definitely a female selkie, he can tell from the smallish breasts that peek out from the water. Her body relaxed when she hits the water, the small creature gave a half sigh, half whimper.

Blood is seeping from her wound, and they’re going to attract attention if he’s not careful. Sharks patrolled these waters and it would be a tragedy if a great white snapped them both up. She begins to cry—whether from pain or fear of being around a human—he doesn’t know.

“Hey, I’m going to get you fixed up ok?” Ben says and tries to pat her shoulder comfortingly.

“M-my pod!” She wailed.

“What about them?” Ben’s stomach drops.

“They’re dead! The storm drowned them—I think I’m the only survivor.” The petite selkie cries and he applies the salve while she’s still in the water. He’s going to cry too — a loss of life like that was devastating. Selkies were a precious, magical creature, and every drop of blood lost was a damned shame.

“I have a cove, you can stay there until you find a new pod.” He just wants her to calm down, but she wails louder.

“I should’ve saved them.” She says tearfully.

“What’s your name, dear?” Ben asks.

“R-Rey.” She wipes her eyes on his pea coat, and she notices that her wound — which had nearly been fatal — is now healed. “How did you do that?”

“It’s something I made, it helps accelerate your natural healing.”

“Are you a warlock?” Her guard is up, and he wants to take her to his cove. Was there a black magician out on the sea?

He breaks from his reverie and meets her gaze without fear, “No—I’m a human.” Ben almost regrets telling her the truth, because she recoils from him.

“Please don’t hurt me, mister! I swear I’m a good selkie!” Her voice is so terrified he bears the ice-cold water a little longer.

“I would _never_ , you have my word. That salve might make you quite drowsy. It might be best if you stayed someplace safe tonight.”

Rey has come back to her senses but she still seems scared of him. “I don’t have anywhere to go,” She’s flopped onto him, she must be unable to transform—whatever had hurt her and her pod was too powerful for even a creature like her to swim against.

“I’ve got someplace safe for you.” Ben’s smile is warm and open when he speaks to her.

“You would do that?” She looks up at him with her big doe eyes and blinks in wonder several times. Her full and natural lashes brush her cheeks, he wants to remember this moment forever.

“Of course I would.”

“I can’t change back into my human form,” Rey says haltingly.

“I can carry you.” Rey smiles, and asks her, “Let me know when you’re ready.”

“I’m quite heavy,” Rey says blushing.

“You’re actually very small for a selkie, I thought you were a pup at first but...”

“But what?” She asks curiously.

“You have adult markings, and scars from boats — I assume. It takes time to get those, and pups aren’t allowed far away from their mothers. If I had to guess I’d say you’re at least twenty.”

She eyes him suspiciously, “How do you know all that?”

“I studied selkies at a world-renown university, it’s my specialty. We really need to get to the cove before it gets dark and I can’t see well enough to carry you.”

She _hmphs_ but nods, “Take me then, it’s not like I can stay here.”

He’s got her over his shoulder and on the way to the cove in a moment. She struggles for a moment, her flippers flopping around, “I didn’t think you’d be carrying me upside down.” She deadpans the words and sounds entirely unimpressed with him.

“It’s called a fireman’s carry. It’s the easiest way to carry a selkie.”

She doesn’t say anything, and when Ben finishes walking the distance to the small cove on his property, he slides her into the water. Rey goes under the water immediately, and fixes her scraggly hair, getting it wet and smoothing out the knots. She pops up with a few jumbo prawns and whacks their heads—hard—on the dock. She cracks them open and feasts.

Ben has never seen a _hangry_ selkie, but it made sense, she was so small she must’ve been underfed. “Why did you smack them on the dock?”

Rey swallows, and says, “Makes them less wriggly—quicker to eat.”

Ben nods, he’s fascinated—he waves his arms and the motion-activated lights come on over the cove, they’re special lights—meant to illuminate but not blind. Designing this place had been a dream come true—too bad his mother had to die in order to afford it.

“I’m fine—by the way,” Rey says a little stiffly.

“Well… that was a really serious wound you got. You’ll be weaker than usual while your body replaces the blood you lost. I know you’re alone,” He shrugs and his breath fills the space in front of him with a cloud of icy steam. His legs are frozen, he’s soaked and hypothermia will surely set in soon, but he wants to spend several more moments with this beautiful creature. “I just want you to know, you’ll always have a place to stay if you need one.”

Rey stops whacking the prawns on the dock, and looks up at him, she really looks at him and sees his dark, soulful eyes, the perfect nose, and gorgeous cheekbones. Her cheeks flush. “Uhm… could you get a little closer? My vision kind of sucks at this time of night — especially when I’m above the water in my natural form.”

He nods and crouches down, fingers touching the water not too far from her. Rey’s trying to read his expression, her tone is curious when she speaks, “What does your pod call you?”

“I don’t have a pod, but you can call me _Ben_.” He’d nearly changed his name when his parents had died. He hadn’t felt much like the kid his parents had left behind.

Her eyes go wide, and she nods. Then, seeming to have a change of heart about his kindness, she splashes him and he has to run inside the house.

It was going to be a long winter. Especially because she would likely have to stay in the cove for the duration. The pods went south in the winter, she would have no one but him.

*~*~*

Ben goes down the next day at dawn and brings some fresh fish and his kit. He’d really like to study Rey, but given her reaction last night, that’s largely wishful thinking.

She’s swimming around, looking gorgeous, and he tries to ignore the sight of her bare breasts in the cold, crisp, morning air.

“What are you doing here?” She asks.

“Just wanted to check on you.” He says, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I’m sorry about last night. I hadn’t eaten in a week, and the storm scared me— I’ve lost everything.”

He nods and gives her a small smile. He’d known she was scared, but it had been dangerous for Ben to get that cold. “If it helps, I know how you feel, my mother and father just died. I was their only son.” He pauses, and adds, “I’d like some warning if you ever feel that angry with me again, ok?”

She makes a noise of sorrow, selkies could sing tales of woe, and drown ships. She didn’t look like she’s about to sink him though — she’s batting her eyes at him, the long, black lashes, against her fair skin, make his mind go places it has no right to.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” She says mournfully. “I’m sure they loved you very much.” She looks away, another storm was gathering, the clouds on the horizon were roiling and unnaturally black.

Ben tries to not get caught up in his own complicated feelings about his parents. They’d died in a car crash, a fiery wreck. Han had been drunk and had taken his mother to the store. They’d hit the median head on at eighty miles an hour. Han had always been the _worst_ thing that had ever happened to him. Leia had never understood him — and what she was doing in the car with his drunk father was beyond him. He knew one thing, he’d never touch a drop of alcohol again.

Rey’s voice breaks him from his reverie. “You’re remembering.” His thoughts must be written all over his face, clear as day.

“I’m sorry—I wasn’t shielding,” she gives him an inquiring look. “Because we’re both force users, although I’m rather bad at it, the force connects us and if I’m not shielding you’ll feel or at least sense what I’m thinking about.” He laughs to himself, “It’s supposed to work for positive emotions too, I haven’t had a positive emotion in a very long time, though.” Ben didn’t know much about positive emotions. He hadn’t felt joy in a very long time and Rey’s treatment of him last night made him sad.

She changes the subject, “I need to get back out to the ocean.”

Ben taps his foot, “Why?”

“ _Why?_ Because that’s where I belong.” Rey says, sounding exasperated.

“Sweetheart—“

“Don’t you _sweetheart_ me.”

Ben nods, understanding, “I know, but you have no pod, a shark would get you in a matter of days.”

She scowls, and she shakes her head and pushes herself onto the dock. She sits next to him, getting his work trousers soaked, and making him shiver.

“I can send divers to see if there’s anything left of your pod.” He offers generously. She banished her pelt, and she’s sitting there in jeans and still topless. He takes off his jacket and puts it over her shoulders because it was too much to not openly look at her.

“Divers scare us, the pod won’t show up for you even if they are alive,” She says, shrugging on his jacket.

He nods, and looks anywhere but at her, “Ok then.”

She scowls, “What do you mean... _ok then_?”

“I’m—concerned for you, and I don’t know how to put it into words. You almost _died_ last night, in my arms.”

She turns bashful at that, her shoulders hunch and maybe he’s said the wrong thing, but after a long beat she says softly, “Thank you—for saving my life.”

Finally, he can look at her again, he smiles warmly at her, “Of course, it was an honor.”

They go their separate way for the day, Rey to fish and scavenge, and Ben to his lab.

*~*~*

That night he goes down to the cove at dusk, he’s got fresh salmon for her. He knows all about their feeding habits and knows salmon is a particular treat.

She’d been so thin, and he wanted to see her healthy again.

He puts the salmon down on the dock, it’s fairly big, and she pops her head out of the water. Her breasts are bobbing in the water, and he looks away, he wants to tell her to cover up, but knows that she’d think he was being a human prig.

“Hi.” She says as she wrings out her hair, “How was your day?”

“Good, busy. I’m working on another salve, and I’m low on magic.”

“Oh,” she pauses as if she’s detecting the magic in the air, “yes, I can feel it. Humans are so strange with their easily depleted magic,” She shakes her head and whacks some prawns on the dock.

Was she _always_ hangry?

Ben sighs, “Look, I’m going to see about trying to get you to a facility. Someplace where you canbe with other rescued selkies —“

“I don’t need rescuing.” She bites out.

Ben begs to differ, “You have no pod, you’re underweight, you’re barely out of your pup years — the list goes on.”

She scowls, “I may come from nothing but I have the power to call down hurricanes and water spouts from nothing. I am a _stormcaller_ and I do not need you—nor any man.”

Ben’s jaw is on the floor. He’d never met a stormcaller before. He looks at the markings on her, she was black and white, like the local Harp Seals. He thought she was beautiful, and he can now see that the motley of scars on her pelt must be from hundreds—if not thousands of encounters with humans over hundreds of years. They’d tried to end her—for ending them.

“I am tired of being underestimated, _Ben_.”

He nods hastily, lest she call down a lightning bolt and strike him down where he stood.

“There’s a warlock out there, using black magic to control the seas.” She says, and he’s learned more about selkies in the last five minutes than he had in ten years at Harvard. Her voice carries an edge to it, and her posture is stiff.

“I’ve got to get back out there.” She says softly, mostly to herself.

“I was hoping you’d stay.” Ben hedges.

She _laughs_ at him, “Oh humans are so _cute_. Ben, my entire family is _dead_ , you know what that’s like. I want vengeance.”

Ben sighs, “You shouldn’t face whatever’s out there alone—I don’t want to be alone out here in the great big world.”

_“You’re not alone.”_ She sings in her mystical selkie voice, it sounds unearthly and ear-splitting in the dusk, but he thinks _she’s beautiful_.

He’s drawn to her like he’s drawn to all dark and dangerous things. It seems he cannot stay away from the darkness.

Her gaze narrows and goes unfocused, she’s staring at him and he realizes she’s having a premonition. He doesn’t want to know his future, his past was scary enough, knowing what the world would bring was too frightening. He’d lost too much.

She shakes her head, and her chestnut, unbound hair falls into her face. Her breasts bounce, and she looks up at him, but he stops her, “I don’t want to know my future.” He says quickly as if trying to prevent the words from spilling from her lips.

Her mouth is already open as if she cannot help but share the details of the vision, but she closes her mouth and puts her hands up. “Fine, you don’t want to be imparted with selkie knowledge… that’s on you.”

Ben wonders what the _hell_ he signed up for when he saved her.

She swims off into the cove, and he sighs. It was going to be a long time before he saw to eye with her. He sulks off, shoulders slumped and feeling more exhausted than he ever had.

He had a sinking feeling about this whole thing and in the back of his mind, he knows that what he really wants is to be her mate. _But that wasn’t possible._


End file.
